Game apparatus.



' A A. PONS. GAME APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 15, 1911.

Patented Dec. 12, 1911.

' ARTHUR AUBR'IOT FONS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

GAME APPARATUS.

v Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Dec, 12" 1911,

1 applic ti n filed March 15, 1911. Serial No. 614,689.

Be it "known that I, ARTHUR AUBRIOT PoNs, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Brooklyn, in the cityand State of New York, United States. of America, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Game Apparatus; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the To ail whom it same.

This invention relates to an improved game apparatus as described in the present specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings that form part of the 15 same.

The invention consists essentially in the novel construction and arrangement'of parts whereby the rudiments of the game of baseball can be used in conjunction with devices for throwing a ball and for automatically operating a number of dummy players- The objects of the invention are to provide a game for old and young persons involving to a certain extent the rules of baseball and which can be played by any number of persons, and generally to provide an interesting amusing and exciting game particularly suitable as a parlor game.

I in section and a number of operating cords Fig. 2 1s. a perspective de-' In the accompanymg drawings Figure 1 is a general perspective new of the game apparatus, showing one corner of the board in dotted lines. tail of a .dumniy player. Fig. .3 is a perspective detail of a releasing lever and supportingbracket.

Like numerals of reference indicate 'corresponding parts in eachfigure. -R eferring to the drawings 1 is the base or board having the downwardly projecting rim 2. .This board may be constructed of 13.11) suitablematerial, preferably wood or mg intended to represent a baseball diacardboard. v

3 is a raised track having the rounded corners and the offset end 5, said track bemond the rounded corners forming the bases. I -6 area number of dummy players arranged to travel on the track 3 from base to base. Anysuitable' device. for this purpose may be employed but it is necessary that said device shall be capable of automatically traveling on. the. track. In the form vof dummy player shown inthe drawing 7 is a stationary drum containing a clock spring,

tion.

one end of which is connected to a revolving wheel 8 preferably grooved to fit the upper edge of the track 3, the other end of said spring being connected to a winding shaft 9 controlled by a suitable ratchet and pawl mechanism as is usually provided in such mechanisms to prevent unwinding of the spring until such timeas desired. A plate 10 is secured at the top of the drum 7 to represent a persons head. i

11 and 12 are balance weights rigidly secured to and depending from the" bottom of the stationary drum and from the plate 10 respectively on either side of the wheel 8 so that the said wheel may freely revolve therebetween. The weight 11 is hook shaped and both weights 11 and 12 in addition toretaining the figure upright, form guides inasmuch as they'are disposed on either side ofthe track 3 respectively.

It is not necessary to go further into the 1 details of construction of the dummy players as such spring wound toys are well known and'inthis particular arrangement the spring is wound for the purposeof storing up energy sufficient to revolve the wheel 8 in order to travel the same completely around the track 3. I

13 is a pitching device comprising a lever 14 pivoted at its lower end to a'bracket 15" rigidly secured to the board 1 in the center thereofand a cup socket 16 at the upper end thereof adapted to contain a ball 17.

18 is a leaf spring secured to the bracket 15 and pressing the lever 14: in a forward direction. I

19 is a cord connected at one end to the lever 14 and extending forwardly through a hole" 20 in the board '1 to the underside of the board and thence through a hole 21 in thefront flanged edge 2 and terminating in a pull ring 22. I

23 isa suitably shaped batting lever pivoted at its lower end to a bracket 24 rigidly secured to the thereof.

25 is a leaf. spring secured to the board 1 and pressing the bat 23 in a forward direcboard 1 toward the upper end 26 is a projection from one of the side edges of the bat at'the' lower end thereof and forming astop to the forward movementof thebat. I p g 27, a're catch levers having the offset ends 28, said levers 27 being'pivoted 'at 'the' middle thereof to brackets 29 rigidlysecured to the board 1 adjacent to holes 30 through which the lower end of the levers 27 extend to the underside of the board.

31 are eyes screwed to underside of the board 1.

32 is a cord or wire connected at one end to the bat 23 projecting through a hole 33 in the board 1 to the underside and terminating in the ring 3 1.

35 are cords, at one end connected to the ring 34, passing through the eyes 31, and at the other ends connected to thelower ends of the levers 27 respectively, said cords 35 beingall on the underside of the board 1.

It will thus be seen thatthe batting lever 23, when moved in a rearward direction will pull the cords 35 thereby pulling inwardly the lower end and outwardly the offset ends, of the levers 27 and it should here be mentioned thatthe catch levers 27 are respectively at the outside of the corners of the track or diamond, that is to say, at the home plate and bases and in the normal position of said levers the ofiset ends 28 abut against the side of said track thereby forming stops to the passage of the dummy players. Springs 36, which may form extensions from the brackets 29, are provided to return the levers 27 to their normal positions.

Recesses 37 forming cups or pockets for receiving the ball are provided in the board 1, these pockets being arranged in parts of the diamond where it is least likely that the ball will rebound from the bat 23. Any number of similar recesses 38 may also be provided preferably in parts where it is likely that the ball may rebound or roll.

In the use of this game apparatus, a dummy player or a number 0 dummy players are placed on the track after being wound p plate or bases by the levers 27. The ball 17 is placed in the cup 16 and lever 14 drawn backward by pulling the ring 22 which is let go sharply thereby throwing the ball from the cup 16. After a little practice the ball may be aimed to hit the bat 23 thereby forcing the same backward against the resistance of the spring 25 and releasing the catch levers 27 and allowing the dummy players to move, said dummy players as before stated, being wound up and ready to travel. The levers 27 will immediately return to their normal position after the passage of the dummy players so that the next following players will be again arrested. Thus it will be seen that the dummy players move intermittently from base to base. The offset end 5 of the track is provided to guide the dummy players off the track when they reach the home plate. Assuming the batting lever 23 has been hit by the ball and the latter rebounds within the diamond it will most likely i-oll into one of the recesses 37 or 38. Assuming the former the player may be and normally are retained at the home' given one base, two bases, three bases, or a home run according to which one of the said recesses receives the ball. Should the ball land in-one of the recesses 38 the player is caught out. Any number of recesses 38 may be provided and any desirable rules may govern the game but most of the rules of the game of baseball can be followed with this apparatus, forinstance, ifthe player misses thebat three times he retires in favor of another player. If the ball rebounds outside of the track this is a foul ball. However I do not wish to restrict myself to anyt particular rules governing the game.

It is obvious that details of, construction may be modified without departing from the spirit of the invention as claimed in the fol-' lowing claims for novelty.

'VVhat I claim as my invention is:

1. In a game apparatus, a raised track suitably supported, an automatically moving object adapted to travel on said track, catch devices governing the travel'of said object to and from certain points in said track, a ball projecting device, an obstacle, means operatively connecting said obstacle and said catch devices and a ball adapted to be thrown by said projecting device against said obstacle;

2. In a game apparatus, a board, a track supported on said board, a plurality of automatically moving objects intermittently and simultaneously traveling on said track, catch devices governing the stopping and starting of said objects, a ball projecting device mounted on said board and comprising a spring controlled lever pivoted at the lower end and having a socket at the upper end, a ball loosely fitting said socket and a target operatively connected with said catch devices and adapted to be hit by said ball to operate said catch devices.

3. In a game apparatus, a board, a raised track formed in diamond shape, a plurality of sprin wound dummy players adapted to automatically and simultaneously travel on said track, catch levers arranged at the corners of said track in the path of said dummy players, a spring controlled batting lever pivoted at its lower end and operatively connected with said catch levers, a ball projecting device and a ball adapted to be thrown by said device against said batting lever to release said catch levers and thereby permit the travel of said dummy players to the next corners of the track.

4. In a game apparatus, a board having a downwardly flanged rim, a diamond sha ed track having rounded corners and suita bly mounted on said board, a plurality of automatically moving dummy players adapted to travel on said track, catch levers pivotally mounted at said rounded corners in the path of said dummy players, a spring controlled batting lever pivoted at its lower end to a bracket mounted near the top corner of the track, cords connecting said batting. lever with the lower end of said catch"1evers,"-a spring controlled ball projecting lever pivoted at its lower end to a bracket rigidly secured in the center of the board, said lever having a socket at the upper end; a ball loosely fitting said socket, a cord connected. to said lever at one end and terminatingin' a pull ring at the other end,and a plurality of cups forming -bal1 receiving pockets j within the diamond.

5. In a game apparatus, a substantially diamond shaped trackway, automatic player devicescontaining stored energy adapted to I *move themselves on said trackway, a ball 15 'slinge'r, an obstacle receiving the'ball from v saidfslin'ger, and means operated by said objstaclefor' stopping and starting said player devices.

Signed at Bath Beach, Brooklyn, city of 2 New York, this 9th day of March, 1911.

. A'RTHUR AUBRIQT roNs.

Witnesses; 7

Row. J L'HUTGHISON, RoB'r. 'L. HU'ronmsoN, 

